“A lot of guys don’t miss the work so much, but they miss the times they had with their officers.”

DEPTFORD TWP. — When rookie police Officer Daniel Murphy started his first shift, a computer in the patrol car’s center console would have seemed like science fiction.

The Deptford Mall was just over a decade old, and the commercial district around it had a very different look.

In 1986, Murphy didn’t know how far he and the township would come. But Chief Murphy reflected on all that Friday, his last day on the job after 27 years with the department.

He’s retired after about four years as chief. And at the dawn of retirement, he recalled his years of service.

“A lot has changed since those days,” Murphy said of the progress he’s seen. “I used to joke with the guys that I never wrote a report on a computer inside a (patrol vehicle)."

In fact, he was used to filling them out by hand on a clipboard. It’s just one of many changes to occur in Deptford and so many other towns in the span of nearly 30 years.

Since Murphy’s first patrol, the township’s population has grown by about 7,000. The police department’s breakdown of coverage areas has gone from three sectors to five. Residential subdivisions have sprung up where once there were none.

The department had to adjust, and Murphy said he’s happy that he helped. For one, the department became accredited by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP) under his watch.

Accreditation is a professional benchmark by which departments that go through the process can show they meet high performance standards. Murphy pointed out that and other accomplishments have helped him “leave the police department in really good shape administratively.”

But what he’ll miss most, he said, are moments spent with his colleagues.

“It’s the time I spend with my guys, on and off the job,” Murphy said. “The camaraderie is what I’ll miss the most.

“A lot of guys don’t miss the work so much, but they miss the times they had with their officers.”

Murphy is ending a career in which he quickly climbed through the ranks. He became sergeant in 1995, then lieutenant in 2001. Two years later, he was sworn in as captain.

In 2008, he was promoted to deputy chief and the next year, he reached the top spot. Murphy now leaves the department to William Hanstein, previously the deputy chief. Hanstein will be sworn in to his new post Sept. 9.

He, too, is a 27-year police veteran, Murphy said, adding that “Bill will do a good job. He’s a great guy.”

As for the exiting chief, he says he’s going to take it easy for now.

“I don’t have any absolute plans right now,” he said. “I’m going to spend some quality time with family.”